Wheel hub for bicycle

ABSTRACT

Wheel hub comprising a central tubular portion ( 20 ) and a pair of side caps ( 22 ), which diameter is larger than said central portion ( 20 ). The hub comprises a monolith body ( 18 ) made of fibre-reinforced plastic material including said central portion ( 20 ) and said side caps ( 22 ).

[0001] This invention relates to a wheel hub for a bicycle, specifically a competition bicycle.

[0002] The main objective of competition bicycle manufacturers is to reduce the weight of the single components as much as possible. In the case of wheel hubs, conventional technology involves the use of metallic light alloys, such as aluminium alloys and similar. Various solutions have been proposed to reduce the weight of the wheel hub in which the central tubular part of the wheel hub is made of carbon fibre incorporated in a plastic material resin and in which a pair of side caps made of aluminium alloy are fastened to the ends of the carbon fibre central portion. The side caps are provided with housings for supporting rolling bearings and holes for anchoring the wheel spokes.

[0003] The objective of this invention is to provide a wheel hub which is lighter and presents better characteristics in terms of rigidity with respect to the known solutions mentioned above.

[0004] This objective is attained by a wheel hub comprising a central tubular portion and a pair of side caps, which diameter is larger than said central portion, characterised in that said hub comprises a monolith body made of fibre-reinforced plastic material including said central portion and said side caps.

[0005] As will be better explained in the following part of this description, the hub according to this invention is lighter and more rigid than the known solutions. The greater rigidity in correspondence to the rolling bearing housings formed inside the side caps reduces the radial play on the bearings and facilitates wheel assembly and centring operations, especially in the case in which the wheel rim is made of fibre-reinforced plastic material, specifically carbon fibre.

[0006] This invention will be better explained by the following detailed descriptions with reference to the accompanying figure as non-limiting example, whereas:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective partial view of a bicycle wheel with a hub according to this invention,

[0008]FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned elevated front view of a front wheel hub according to this invention, and

[0009]FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned elevated front view of a rear wheel hub according to this invention.

[0010] In FIG. 1, numeral 10 indicates a bicycle wheel comprising a rim 12 and a hub 14 connected to the rim 12 by means of a plurality of spokes 16.

[0011] The hub according to this invention comprises a monolith body 18 consisting of fibre-reinforced plastic material. Preferably, the plastic material is a thermosetting resin and the reinforcement fibres are carbon fibres. The body 18 comprises a tubular central portion 20 and a pair of side cap 22 formed integrally with the central portion 20 with a larger diameter than said central portion.

[0012]FIG. 2 shows a first form of embodiment of a hub according to this invention, destined to be used on a front wheel. In this first form of embodiment, each of the caps 22 is provided with a ground housing 24, in which the external race of a roller bearing 26 is arranged. Each cap 22 is provided with a set of holes 28, which are used to anchor the head portions 30 of the respective spokes 16.

[0013] In a conventional, the rolling bearings 26 support the rotation of the body 18 around a pin 32.

[0014]FIG. 3 illustrates a second form of embodiment of the hub according to this invention. The parts corresponding to those described above are indicated with the same numerals. The hub shown in FIG. 3 is destined to be fitted on a rear wheel. One of the side caps 22 (the one on the right in the figure) is shaped to receive a chainring 34 of a freewheel device. The chainring 34 can be made of light metal alloy, for example aluminium alloy of similar. The chainring 34 is provided with holes 36 for anchoring the spokes 16 and presents a ground housing 38 for the external race of a roller bearing 26. The chainring 34 is connected to a freewheel device 40 in the known way. The freewheel is connected to a grooved hub 42 on which the rear pinions of the shifting system are connected (not shown). The chainring 34 is fastened with interference in a housing 44 formed inside the respective cap 22. The other cap 22 (the one on the left in FIG. 3) is made identically as described above in relation to the hub for the front wheel.

[0015] The caps 22 made of carbon fibre confer a considerable rigidity in the radial direction to the hub 18. The radial deformations of the caps 22 induced by the tension of the spokes 16 are practically negligible with respect to those obtained by light alloy caps. This characteristics is particularly advantageous because in the hub according to this invention the tension of the spokes 16 does not produce an increase of play in the roller bearing housing 26.

[0016] The use of the hub according to this invention is particularly advantageous when used in combination with a rim also made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic material. In this case, both the hub and the rim are practically not deformable and the only elastically deformable elements are the spokes 16. This facilitates wheel centring and prevents rim ovalisation and undesired increased play on the hub bearings.

[0017] Naturally, numerous changes can be implemented to the construction and forms of embodiment of the invention herein envisaged, all comprised within the context of the concept characterising this invention, as defined by the following claims. 

1. Wheel hub comprising a central tubular portion (20) and a pair of side caps (22), which diameter is larger than said central portion (20), characterised in that said hub comprises a monolith body (18) made of fibre-reinforced plastic material including said central portion (20) and said side caps (22).
 2. Wheel hub according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of said caps (22) is provided with a plurality of holes (28) for anchoring the spokes (16) of the wheel.
 3. Wheel hub according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of said caps (22) is provided with a housing (24) for receiving the external race of a rolling bearing (26).
 4. Wheel hub according to claim 1, characterised in that one of said caps (22) is provided with a housing (44) for receiving a chainring (34) with holes (36) for anchoring the spokes (16) and a housing (38) for a rolling bearing (26).
 5. Wheel hub according to claim 1, characterised in that said plastic material is a thermosetting resin.
 6. Wheel hub according to claim 1, characterised in that said reinforcement fibres are carbon fibres.
 7. Bicycle wheel, characterised in that it comprises a hub according to one or more of the claims above.
 8. Bicycle wheel according to claim 7, characterised in that it comprises a rim made of fibre-reinforced plastic material.
 9. Bicycle wheel according to claim 8, characterised in that is comprises a light metal alloy rim. This is essentially as described and illustrated for the specified purposes. 